Share the Darkness
by earl who wears mega pearls
Summary: AchmedRhapsody eventually. I'm awful when it comes to writing a summmary. Please read anyway, I hope you enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

A/N- This is my first attempt at a fanfiction for anything other than Veronica Mars, and I only wrote 2 for that so I'm not really that great at this yet. I'm a little nervous about Grunther's dialogue too, I can never get accents right. Anyway, eventually this is going to be Achmed/Rhapsody.

Rhapsody rode harder than she ever had in her entire life. The horse would need to rest soon, she was definitely pushing it past normal endurance. There was a town coming up, she could trade this horse for another one and move on. She couldn't stop. In this haze her sudden depression had landed on her she could at least hold on to that one coherent though. She could not stop. He most likely knew where she was heading, and was probably trying to ride as fast as she was. This was where her size was a bonus. He was much taller and more muscular than she, and therefore could not push the horse as long and hard as she could. After riding like this for what seemed like forever, a soft whimper drew her out of her fog. She looked down at the bundle tied to her chest. Meridion was a relatively quiet baby, and at a few months old, could already sleep through the night. Under any other circumstances she would have stopped right there and find out what was bothering her son but she had to get as far away from him as possible. Gradually the whimper escalated to a full-blown wail. She knew what was wrong with him now. That was his hunger cry.

"Shhh, don't cry little one," she said to the baby, still looking straight ahead. "We're almost there, I'll feed you then." She started to hum a lullaby and he slowly fell asleep.

Rhapsody sat on a rock and pulled out a jar of food from her pocket. As she fed Meridion, she listened to Grunther yelling at the soldiers who were attempting to clean the mess made by Anwyn's attack a few months before. She smiled to herself as Meridion giggled and waved his arms around. She thought back on the past few months. She would miss breast feeding. It was a way she felt utterly connected to her son. By the same token, it was fascinating to watch how he grew and matured. She could always tell when he took a trip through time because his eyes would go blank and unfocused. The first time that happened she and Ashe had worried to no end. At the thought of her husband, Rhapsody's smile faded. She closed her eyes to guard against the tears that were threatening to come when she felt the sun blocked by a Grunther-sized shadow standing next to her.

"All right Duchess?" He said, concern evident in his voice. Rhapsody took a few deep breaths before answering.

"Could I stay here for a few days?" She asked, squinting against the sun as she looked up at his massive face.

"O' course ye can! Ye know that!" She smiled weakly and nodded. He thought about questioning her further about what was wrong but decided against it. She didn't look like she would answer any questions he might have anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N- Sorry I'm so slow updating and I don't write very much at a time. I realize this is a wierd place to stop, butI'll try to get the next chapter out quicker, I probably will because I know what I want to happen I just have to write it. Minor detail. Anyway, enjoy.

Achmed stared coldly at the man standing in front of him. He was babbling some excuse about something to do with the mail caravan. Achmed had stopped listening awhile ago and settled for just looking at him until he got the message. Apparently that wasn't long, because the man started to speak slower and eventually stopped altogether, looking extremely uncomfortable. Achmed turned and began to walk away, without even dismissing the nervous mail carrier. He had more important things to do. Like find Rhapsody. He had felt her heart coming for days, and as much as he wanted to ride out and meet her to ask what was wrong he knew she would tell him when she arrived and there was no point in leaving the Cauldron unguarded. He found her outside, standing next to Grunther, looking at the view from the mountains. Coming closer he noticed Grunther was holding Meridion and trying to gently entertain the baby.

"Why are you here? And when did Grunther become your babysitter?" Achmed asked once he was close enough to be heard. Rhapsody turned around slowly and smiled. Achmed's annoyance at her not coming to greet him changed swiftly into worry as he saw her face. Although she was trying to smile, her eyes looked dead, void of any emotion.

"Nice to see you too. I'm going to stay in Elysian a few days." She replied. He tried to come up with another nasty retort, but could not get past her demeanor. Rhapsody, vivacious, caring, somewhat annoying Rhapsody looked deflated. All he could do was nod. She nodded in return, picked up her bags and reached to take Meridion from Grunther. Without another word she turned and walked away.

After she was gone, Achmed looked questioningly at Grunther. "Oi don't know. She didn't tell me anythin'."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Flashback is in italics, if you get confused. I'm afraid Rhapsody is a bit OOC. It all worked in my head, and I could see it all playing out, but when I went to write the flashback it didn't work. This was the best I could get anyway. It might be awhile for the next chapter, because there is talking. I am awful with dialogue, my characters sound more childish the more they talk. I hope you like it.

Achmed lay on his bed and looked at the ceiling. Nothing in his outward appearance gave away the intense worry and fear that he felt. His encounter with Rhapsody earlier in the day had left him more shaken than he had been in a very long time. Usually Rhapsody emitted almost music-like vibrations that helped to relieve the constant pain he was in. When she cried it made the pain rise to an almost unbearable level. Today, however, there was no music. No vibrations coming from her. He couldn't explain why they were there in the first place and so could not even begin to imagine why they had gone. It had to have something to do with her eyes. He shuddered involuntarily. The sight of Rhapsody's dead eyes was one that would haunt him for some time to come. The Firbolg king was not frightened by many things. Losing Rhapsody, he had been annoyed to find a few years ago, scared him to no end. He had to find out what was the matter. He had to make it better. Somehow, he would restore her will to live. He had to bring her back, no matter what it took. His decision made, Achmed stood up and walked purposefully toward the door.

Rhapsody gently put Meridion back in his crib. She sang softly until his breaths were long and measured and she knew he was sleeping. As quietly as possible, she turned and walked down the stairs. She sat by the fireplace, which, mirroring her mood as always, refused to even light. If she had been herself she would have noticed that not one thing about Elysian had changed. She would have realized that Anwyn had come by, and would never have left this place in anything more than ruins. She would have been touched to see that Elysian was repaired even before Achmed had begun to clean the rubble from his beloved lightcatcher. If being the keyword. The woman she was today would never have noticed such things. That woman could only sit and watch the dying embers trying her hardest not to be pulled back into the past and relive it. She was fighting a battle, and she was losing.

_Rhapsody smiled widely into the mirror. She had just returned from Sepulvarta and had to restrain herself from running to find Ashe and flinging herself into his arms. She had thought her return out carefully, every detail. Today was the anniversary of their marriage. Not the second one, but the one held in the gazebo in Elysian. Her smile deepened as she thought how lucky she was. Most people only have one wedding. She had two, both positively perfect. While she was in Sepulvarta she had purchased a white dress, very similar to the one she had worn that night. She hoped he would notice. Looking into the mirror one last time, she walked out of the room. First she had to check on Meridion. This trip had been her first time away from him and while she enjoyed the freedom of it, she had missed him terribly. After watching him sleep for a few minutes, she gathered up her dress and left. As impossible as it seemed, her smile grew with every step toward the bedroom, toward Ashe. She was supposed to stay away a week longer than she had, but things had gone surprisingly fast and she was delighted to find herself home in time for this night. Fantasizing to herself about what they would do to celebrate, she opened the door. And stopped dead in her tracks. As hard as she might try she couldn't turn and run like she wanted to, she couldn't even wipe the look of horrified shock from her face. The woman on top of her husband looked at her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Rhapsody recognized her as Portia, the chambermaid sent by Tristan to help with the baby._

"_Please," Rhapsody was surprised to hear herself say. "Don't stop on my account. I hear that can be unhealthy. By all means, continue." Still silently cursing, she tried desperately to move, to get away, to be anywhere but here. Eventually it was Ashe's breathless exclamation of her name that set her free. Suddenly the invisible chains that had held her feet to the ground were gone and she could run. She ran into her separate dressing room and stopped only long enough to collect clothes she could change into on the ride. At some point between then and getting the food and horse, she had stopped to get Meridion because he was in her arms while she rode away. At that point she didn't even know where she was going. All she knew was that she had made the wrong decision, again. Ashe was gone. She wasn't enough for him. For anyone. She only felt the overwhelming need to be somewhere else. Somewhere safe. Unconsciously, she turned her horse towards the moot and began to ride harder._

The Rhapsody of present day was pulled out of her reverie by a loud knock on the door. Not even stopping to wonder who would come this late at night, she got up to see who it was.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry guys. I've had a lot of stuff going on in my life lately and fanfiction, as amazing as the Rhapsody books are, kind of went into the background. I also got an offer for a beta but that was back in November so I really don't want to bother that person now. Thanks for the offer though! Sorry for any errors, I did use spell check so it should mainly be grammatical errors.

Achmed stood outside Rhapsody's door and fidgeted. He was annoyed to realize he was nervous. Achmed did not get nervous, he got irritated. The longer he waited the more nervous/irritated he became. In reality it was probably only a few minutes but standing in that place that had always made him uncomfortable anyway in the state he was in now, it seemed to last forever. It was because of this that when Rhapsody opened the door, he scowled and pushed past her rather than offering some kind of comfort like he had planned. She merely closed the door and followed him in. While he stood staring at what should have been a fire she sat on the couch and looked blankly at him.

"What happened?" He asked, still refusing to look towards her.

"I wasn't enough. I knew it too; I don't know why I convinced myself I was." Achmed hadn't heard her talk like this since she got married. He turned to look at her and immediately remembered why he had been looking at the fire. He couldn't take her eyes. She had to feel something, he had to make her.

"Well I could have told you that. It doesn't matter how many times you go through the core and are remade, a whore is always a whore." He was rewarded with a flash of anger. For a second she sat up a bit straighter and even looked defiant. It only lasted a moment, however, and she soon deflated again.

"You're probably right." She looked down at her hands and up at him again. "I'm going to bed." Without another word she got up and walked towards the stairs. As she passed the door she opened it a bit, as if to let Achmed know he could leave. For a few minutes after she left he stood there wondering what he should do. The Rhapsody he knew was still in there, she had come back for a second. He began walking to the door, but when he got there he couldn't make himself leave. Instead, he closed it and made his way up to Rhapsody's room. She was standing at the window looking out at the lake. She reminded him of a statue of a goddess. Physically perfect, but no emotion. The floor creaked and she turned to look at him. Achmed didn't know what Ashe had done but looking at his dear friend standing there, if Ashe had been there Achmed would have killed him in a second.

"I'm," he started. He was not good at apologies, he couldn't even remember the last time he had tried to apologize for something. "I'm sorry Rhapsody. You know you can stay as long as you want. No matter what that arse rag does to you I'm sure you know there will always be people here that love you." _That was probably the stupidest thing I've ever said._ Achmed thought. _If I don't kill Ashe for what he's done for Rhapsody, I'll have to kill him for what this has done to me._

"Yes, so Grunther tells me." He tone was slightly different than it had been all day. Not much, but enough. They just stood there for awhile before Achmed walked over and hugged her awkwardly. She wrapped her arms around him and began to cry. The stood like that all night, Rhapsody letting out all the emotion she had tried to pretend didn't exist and Achmed simply letting the gloriously painful waves coming from her wash over him.


End file.
